What are some unique physical features of Mercury?

Answer 1

Features which are unique to Mercury include:

Almost no atmosphere.

It is the nearest planet to the Sun.

Mercury is the fastest planet in the solar system, orbiting the sun at a speed of 48 km (30 miles) per second.

At certain times during its orbit of the sun, Mercury appears to have a double sunrise, as the sun rises above the horizon, then drops and rises again. This does not happen on any other planet.

In Roman mythology Mercury was the messenger of the gods because of his great speed.

Caloris Basin is an 800 mile wide Depression. Biggest Crater impact in the solar system

Answer 2

Classification

Using the classification based on size, Mercury is one of the small planets. Along with Pluto, Mercury is sometimes also called a "lesser planet" because it is so small. Lesser planets should not be confused with "minor planets" which is the term used for asteroids.Where is It?

Mercury is the closest planet to the sun. The orbit, or path, it takes around the sun is an ellipse, which is like an oval. For this reason, the distance from Mercury to the Sun varies from about 43 million kilometers at its closest, to about 66 million kilometers at its furthest.How Did It Get Its Name?

Mercury is named for the Roman god of commerce and thievery. It may have received this name because of the way it quickly appears and disappears from our view.How long are its years and days?

Mercury races around the Sun faster than any other planet. A Mercurial year (the time it takes for the planet to go once around the Sun, is only 88 days, while our year on Earth is 365 days. Mercury does not spin as fast as Earth, though, so a Mercurian day (the time it takes a planet to rotate once) is 59 Earth days.How Big Is It?

Mercury is the second smallest planet in the solar system. Pluto is the only planet that is smaller. Earth is about 12000 kilometers in diameter, while tiny Mercury is less than half that size at about 5000 kilometers in diameter. To put another way, if Earth was the size of a cricket ball, Mercury would be a little smaller than a ping-pong ball. Mercury is so small that Ganymede, one of Jupiter's moons, and Titan, one of Saturn's moons, are both larger.Can It Be Seen From Earth?

Mercury can be seen without a telescope, but it is normally visible for a few days only three or four times a year. Because it is so close to the Sun, Mercury is normally hidden by sunlight. When the planet is visible, it can be seen just before sunrise just after sunset.What Is It Made Of?

Mercury is one of the rocky planets of the solar system, along with Earth and Venus. Mercury is made up mostly of iron, with a thin rocky layer on the planet surface.What Is It Like on The Surface?

Mercury has many craters on its surface. The planet has been hit many, many times through the years by asteroids and other objects. These impacts have caused all the craters on the surface. Earth probably had this many craters at one time, but our weather has worn them down over the years. The weather on Mercury varies from extremely hot to extremely cold. The temperature on the side of the planet facing towards the Sun is around 370 degrees Celsius. The "daytime" temperature on Mercury varies, depending on how close it is to the Sun. At the other extreme, the temperature on the side away from the Sun can be less than -150 degrees Celsius.

Answer 3

Some unique features of Mercury are

It is the fastest orbiting planet

It has almost no atmosphere

The Heat on Mercury escapes fast because of thin atmosphere

Caloris Basin is an 800 mile wide depression. Largest impact crater in the Solar System

Answer 4

Mercury has a large iron core that makes up about 60% of its mass, giving it a high density. It has a very thin exosphere, and its surface is heavily cratered with smooth plains and cliffs, believed to be formed from the planet's cooling and contraction. Mercury also has a slow rotation, with a day lasting about 59 Earth days, and its orbital eccentricity is the greatest compared to other planets in our solar system.

Answer 5

It's known the caloris basin in the largest impact crater on mercury